hua yuan brasserie chinoise - hilton manila

familiar w/ shanghainese cuisine?! well, now i am... when all the while i thought they were just pronouncing it wrong 😹 sorry, but there really are times when one gets inducted in to something new and for me that’s totes fine ‘coz to learn is an avenue to grown and share.

speaking of growth and sharing, hilton manila in partnership w/ zomato featured a collaborative menu that y’all can avail at hua yuan brasserie chinoise until the 8th of june. authentic shanghainese and cantonese signature dishes from hilton kuala lumpur‘s award-winning guest chef, lam hock hin and hilton manila’s resident chinese sous chef, kevin xu known as the four hands culinary series: flavors of china is an indulgent bill of fare that you should introduce your taste buds to.

this event is part of the laudable celebration of the hilton hotel’s 100 years in the hospitality industry, to ascertain guest and diners of their a1 commitment to quality and customer first.

the 8-course dinner menu (minimum of 6 diners) is exclusively available from 30may until 08jun and is priced at 2,888/person. that rate is totally worth it, ‘coz for other restos, that’s the cost of a roasted duck - w/c is included in the menu. lemme break down ze chic ta·ble d'hôte:

appetizer
mixed salad w/ kaori bako, golden scallops and anchovies - the crabmeat and the scallops were fresh and sweet, i asked for more dressing because the flavor is packed there and sure tasted like laing or bicol express. you think that be weird, but it all married well and my taste buds loved the kick of heat that complements this starter.

soup
double-boiled black and white garlic soup w/ sea cucumber and spare ribs - black garlic is a thing andit’smy new fave.it’sleft to steep in a secret marinade that sets a sweet, balsamic-y perception to your palate. the broth had a clean finish, the spare ribs were tender to the bite and so is the sea cucumber. i knowit’sa delicacy, but me not a fan.it’stexture is a mix of hard jello, mushroomy, crunchy nata de coco kinda feels, lolz.

main course(s)
hua yuan fragrant tea smoked duck - this was served in a container where the duck was unseen as it was enveloped in a cloud surprise. the moment the server lifted the cover, omfg, the smell of the wonderful roast and the lingering tea-ish aroma just hits you in the face asking to be eaten, stat! the duck fat between the skin and the meat was luscious and each bite was just inexplicable, you dont need the help of the hoisin to bring about that flavor ‘coz it already great on its own.

buttermilk prawn w/ egg flakes and scented curry leaves - my oh my, this was nummy! the prawn was succulent and sweet, hard to wrestler w/o a knife but that can be forgiven the moment you get a tasting of this. creamy and spicy and the scented curry leaves made a remarkable impression even if it just lingered a bit.

deep fried grouper sweet and sour style w/ pine nuts - twas a lil sweet for me, hence the addition of the chili and light soy sauce came into play. the batter made the fish crisp but i felt it was more batter on the outer portion unless you dig deeper near the belly area to get your dose of fish.

smoky grilled sliced pork w/ leeks - a lil on the salty side w/c im not gonna complain about ‘coz salt is something im pro for. eat it together w/ the sautéed leeks resting beneath the slices and it’ll give you that balance of sweet. be sure to slide ‘em morsels on the dusted paprika on your plate for that umph of spice.

fried rice w/ x.o. sauce - yes, the rice comes last as part of their tradition. no matter how many times we asked for the rice to be served, sorry, y’all have to follow chronology, haha. but it was worth the wait. the rice was spectacular, the texture, soft. the flavor, a myriad of all things good. the verdict, finished in a minute, the chef was both pleased and surprised it was gone in 60seconds. haha, what can i say, i love rice!

dessert
coconut cream jelly w/ taro balls and peach gum - aint that sweet but it was a toothsome. i got curious about the peach gums, turns out they were like jellies and if you wanna mukbang, this is perfect! the consistency of the coconut cream jelly was wonderful and the strawberry on top gave it that sweet tangy burst of extra flavor.

hua yuan is located at the 2nd floor of hilton manila at the newport city and it is one of a few restos in the metro that offer authentic shanghainese cuisine w/ a modern take to cater to a more discerning market. expect creatively presented dishes w/ bold flavors to excite the palate. for booking and inquiries, pls call +632 239 7788 or email mnlph_f&binquiry@hilton.com

takaw tikim

hua yuan brasserie chinoise in hilton hotel offers a fine dining experience with its beautiful shanghai-nese cuisine created by resident chinese chef, kevin xu. hua yuan means ‘flower garden’ in chinese. upon entering, i can see the beautiful title wasn’t just a name. the restaurant seemed like a palace.it’sdesigned with gold furnishings, black marble and glittering pieces. it gave us a fine dining ambiance. and upon seeing their dishes, it was evident that its flowers were its delicate and fine plating.

this will be the first time i will be doing a review for the restaurant however i already tried it several times already. i believe hua yuan is the first shanghainese restaurant in the philippines. so,it’squite different from the blooming cantonese cuisine in our country. the dishes were superb and beyond expectations. service needs a little tweak but given enough time they will be upbeat. what i always fond of is their fragrant tea-smoked duck. i tried it twice before writing this review and it was enjoyable and tender. yesterday, when i tried it on the third time, the flavor and texture is quite different. it tastes a little gamey compared on my previous visits. i hope they do something about this.

it’s my first to rate in zomato, and also my first to try this resto. i was a bit unsure how pricey this place is, but to my surprise,it’squite a good price for the great food and great ambiance. the server here are very kind and courteous, and the best part,it’smy first time to be greeted by the chef.
thank you hua yuan for a great experience!
i’ll be back.

start with hua ting’s heirloom shrimp, an addictively crispy treat that highlights the natural briny flavor of the seafood. this isn’t your usual deep-fried garlicky dish, its savory taste comes directly from the meat, which remains tender on the inside after a layer of crunch.

among shanghainese favorites is the xiao long bao, which is also available in crab roe and mushroom flavors. hua ting’s dumpling has a significantly thicker pastry. best eaten right after it is served, the wrap easily melts in your mouth as you get to the chunky and generous center.

their version of the xiao long bao doesn’t have that much soup, but that’s simply because this shanghainese restaurant takes no shortcuts. hilton executive chef dennis leslie revealed that in hua ting, the xiao long bao’s pork filling has been patiently braised to produce the flavorful soup that is most looked forward to.

“our focus here is the flavor is inside the actual dumpling itself. so we use a lot of fresh ingredients and a lot more of that slow cooking to get that soup nice and flavorsome,” he said.

“hua ting’s process makes use of techniques that are prominent in shanghainese cuisine, and so we slow-braise most of our dishes. in slow-braising our pork ingredients, its own meaty, savory liquids that come from that filling eventually become the soup people love,” the executive chef shared.

while the famous soup dumpling steals the show, one shouldn’t snub the sheng jian bao. it is a formidable contender with the same filling—and it explodes with flavors and gives you the same delightful meat soup. these pan-fried pork buns are seared beautifully underneath and dense all over. like the xiao long bao, we encourage you to dip these pork buns in the mixture of ginger and vinegar, too. it lends a certain boldness to the dish.

there’s also a bit of cantonese recipes on the menu. among the options is the stir-fried beef tenderloin. every bite of it drowns you in sweet and savory goodness—it features extremely juicy tenderloin cuts that magically melt in your mouth.it’salso served on a bed of unbelievably crunchy and locally sourced bell peppers.

the main star of hua ting’s current menu is the fragrant tea-smoked duck. the meat is brined before it is smoked with chinese black tea for two hours. while it doesn’t have the crackling skin of the peking duck, you get this succulent and moist texture over fork-tender and juicy meat in exchange. the smoked duck has an indulgent layer of fat underneath the chewy duck skin that’s an interesting addition to the dish’s simple yet aromatic flavors.

“the fragrant tea-smoked duck is something original here in the philippines. i haven’t seen a lot of it being done here. i actually had it over in china, australia, then i told hua ting’s chef about it,” chef leslie recalled.

“he told me ‘i can do you one better!’ he produced this one andit’sspot on.it’sgot a simple flavor, but even the bones are super tasty as well—you sorta just want to gnaw on it for a while,” he added.

don’t forget to order the bestselling red date milk tea, a welcome palate cleanser in between dishes.it’sfar off from the milk tea you’ve probably spent a handful of minutes lining up for, butit’sgot a taste that you’ll definitely remember.it’sgot a refreshing tangy kick that’s quite similar to lychee.it’salso got that smooth and creamy texture like most chinese desserts.

pair this drink with the red sugar glutinous rice roll. the dessert is tikoy reinvented. thin slices of rice rolls are deep-fried to perfection creating a crusty exterior. it envelopes a party of textures and nutty flavors. now that's how a crowd-favorite delicacy becomes crave-worthy.